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Hanukkah: the 6th night

Talking about all those films yesterday had me humming to Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, the radiant smile of Catherine Deneuve like a benign Cheshire Cat in my mind. La grande dame was in another film recently, the light comedy, Les Potiches, which has he becoming the CEO of an umbrella factory. It’s a French thing, this obsession with umbrellas, probably directly related to the copious amounts of rain that fall from the heavens every year. Or perhaps its because in this style obsessed country, its just one more accessory to get excited over. One of the rare ones that men can enjoy as much as their Parisiennes.

For the ultimate in Haute Couture umbrellas, Heuraultis the place to go. Each piece made with exotic handles and hand selected fabrics by artisans right here in their Paris atelier. The umbrellas are exquisite. They are also very expensive. Well beyond my mortal means, especially when the people I gift have a tendency to loose things. It would be a tragedy to loose one of these umbrellas, and nobody in my life needs that kind of stress right now.

Its hard to follow in those footsteps, but for a practical, everyday option, the folks at the Piganiolumbrella factory have been protecting the French from the rain since 1884, making solid, quality products that they stand behind. When the leash on my foldable Piganiol came undone, they told me to send it in and they’d fix it for free, which the did in a matter of weeks, sending it back to me by La Poste at their expense. Even more unbelievable… they offered to repair my umbrella when the pole was bent in the closed doors of a moving bus headed for the Ecole Militaire. 100% my fault, or rather Em’s, but certainly not theirs.

The short, wide form of the foldable version fits easily into most handbags, yet opens wide enough to cover a couple walking arm and arm along the streets, admiring the holidays lights in Paris, London, or your home town.